Danna Azrieli
Danna Azrieli Hakim | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 3, 1967 Montreal, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, philanthropist |
| Known for | Chairwoman of Azrieli Group, Chairwoman of Azrieli Foundation |
Danna Azrieli Hakim (; born June 3, 1967, in Montreal, Canada) is an Israeli entrepreneur specializing in real-estate development and a noted philanthropist. Since 2014, she has held the position of Chairwoman at the publicly traded Israeli real estate firm, Azrieli Group. She also leads the Azrieli Foundation in Israel, contributes to the Canadian branch of the Azrieli Foundation, and sits on the boards of the Weizmann Institute of Science, Tel Aviv University, and the Darca schools. Her personal fortune is estimated at $1.9 billion.
Biography
Azrieli was born in Montreal, Canada, as the youngest child of Stephanie Lefcort Azrieli and David Azrieli, a prominent Canadian real estate developer. Together with her sisters Naomi and Sharon, she controls 46% ownership in the Azrieli Group, a company established by their father that is recognized for its development of shopping centers and office complexes throughout Israel. The siblings inherited their shares following David Azrieli’s passing in 2014.
Her education includes graduation from Herzliah High School, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Anthropology from Swarthmore College in 1990, and a Juris Doctor (JD) from Vermont Law School completed in 1993. After relocating to Israel in 2000, she initially worked at Gornitzky & Co. before joining the Azrieli Group two years later.
Career
Prior to her appointment as Chairwoman of the Azrieli Group, Azrieli gained experience at Canpro Investment Ltd., the family's U.S.-based real estate subsidiary. Beginning in 2006, she held directorship roles at Granite HaCarmel and its affiliated companies including Tambour, Sonol, Supergas, and GES. When Azrieli Group went public in 2010, she was named deputy Chairwoman and ascended to Chairwoman following her father’s death in 2014.
From 2014 through 2021, the market value of Azrieli Group surged from NIS 12 billion to NIS 37 billion. During this timeframe, the company executed significant projects such as the Azrieli Sarona Tower located in Tel Aviv’s Sarona district, senior housing developments under Palace Senior, as well as various other ventures including Rishonim, Ramla Mall in Holon, and Azrieli Town in Tel Aviv. In 2016, the group introduced azrieli.com, an omnichannel ecommerce platform.
Diversifying its operations further, Azrieli Group entered the data center industry in 2019 by acquiring a 24% interest in Compass Holdco, a U.S.-based company, for $200 million. In July 2021, it expanded this segment by purchasing Green Mountain Data Centers—a Norwegian operator—for NIS 2.8 billion. The group also broadened its real estate holdings to incorporate hotels and rental residential properties.
Philanthropy
As Chairwoman of the Israeli Azrieli Foundation and an active participant within its Canadian counterpart, Azrieli champions initiatives supporting education, higher learning institutions, scientific research centers, hospitals, and medical facilities. In 2004, she established the Azrieli Empowerment Program which has benefited more than 4,000 vulnerable middle school students throughout Israel. This initiative is managed by Darca schools—where she holds a board position—and has received commitments totaling NIS 110 million from the Foundation; recently an additional NIS 10 million was allocated to launch the "ELA" Educational Leadership Accelerator.
In 2018, she presided over the Israeli General Assembly during the Jewish Federation Annual Meeting. She also led Tel Aviv University’s 2019 Architect Competition connected to a NIS 75 million pledge from the Azrieli Foundation aimed at founding the David Azrieli School of Architecture. Moreover, she serves on several distinguished boards including those of the Weizmann Institute of Science’s International Board of Governors, Tel Aviv University’s Board of Governors, and the Holocaust Claims Conference—which supports Holocaust education and survivor aid programs. She frequently shares insights regarding her father's experiences as a Holocaust survivor.
Books
- Danna Azrieli, One Step Ahead: David J. Azrieli (Azrylewicz) : Memoirs 1939–1950. Published by Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, 2001